New Delhi, May 2: Hoteliers, travel agents and tour operators have adopted the international code of practice to streamline inter industry functioning.The document containing the international code of practice was signed by SSH Rehman, president, Hotel Association of India (HAI), Pradip Madhavji, president, Travel Agents Association of India, and Subhash Goyal, president, India Association of Tour Operators.HAI had organised over 20 interactive rounds of consultations over a period of one year to clear the decks for the signing of the code by the respective presidents of the three industry associations.
The agreement is based on the code of practice evolved between the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA) and the International Hotel and Restaurants Association (IH&RA), which has governed the relations between hoteliers and travel agents/tour operators in large number of countries. Many existing national conventions on tourism reflect the provisions of the UFTAA-IH&RA Code of Practice.
This umbrella framework seeks to provide useful guidelines to hoteliers, travel agents and tour operators to regulate their inter industry functioning with a view to promoting mutually harmonious relations and avoiding possible misunderstandings or disputes. The code comprises 32 articles and specifically applies, whenever no contract has been concluded between the hoteliers and the travel agents/tour operators.
The code defines a `hotel contract' as a contract by which a hotelier agrees with a tour operator/travel agent to provide hotel services, at a specified price, to a traveller or a group of travellers who are clients of the tour operators/travel agents.
The code specifically recognises the voucher issue by travel agents/tour operators as a guarantee of payment to the hotel. The services specified on the voucher include inter alia, the dates of arrival and departure, hotel service to be provided, the type of transport, etc.
It lays down the responsibilities of travel agents/ tour operators in regard to the cancellation time limit. The cancellation made outside the limits shall entitle the hoteliers to two thirds of the cost of the reserved service ie minimum one night per cancelled client and in case of cancellations within the three days preceding the arrival date three fourths of the price of the reserved services.
The code has come into effect from April 28, 2000 between the constituent member establishments of the three associations.
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